Monday’s Mini-Report, 3.27.17

* Russia: “Tens of thousands of people gathered in Moscow and other major cities across Russia on Sunday to protest against official government corruption in what certainly looked like the largest show of anti-Kremlin defiance since 2012. Hundreds of people were arrested, including prominent opposition figure Alexey Navalny, who was one of the main organizers of the rally.”

* On a related note, Putin’s government responded to the protests by accusing the demonstrators of being paid protesters. You know, that argument sounds kind of familiar.

* Iraq: “The American-led military coalition in Iraq said Friday that it was investigating reports that scores of civilians – perhaps as many as 200, residents said – had been killed in recent American airstrikes in Mosul, the northern Iraqi city at the center of an offensive to drive out the Islamic State.”

* A mass shooting in central Florida: “A gunman shot four people in a Florida home Monday and then began randomly shooting people on a nearby street before being subdued by police officers, Sanford police said.”

* These tactics make sense, given the circumstances: “Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee forced the delay of a vote on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch on Monday. The one-week delay in sending the nomination to the full Senate comes as the partisan battle lines over his final confirmation votes begin to harden.”

* North Carolina: “Despite Republican assurances that North Carolina’s ‘bathroom bill’ isn’t hurting the economy, the law limiting LGBT protections will cost the state more than $3.76 billion in lost business over a dozen years, according to an Associated Press analysis.”

* This hasn’t gone away: “Nearly three years into the war against ISIS, lawmakers have ducked their constitutional responsibility for making war by not passing legislation authorizing the anti-ISIS fight.”

* Trump told reporters Friday that he never vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act quickly. That’s hilariously untrue.* District Judge Derrick Watson: “The Hawaii federal judge who halted President Donald Trump’s revised travel and refugee ban has been targeted with threats and will reportedly get around-the-clock protection.”

* It was fascinating to see Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) accurately describe the process in which the ACA became law, pushing back against a common talking point pushed by his own party.

* I wonder if a certain someone is worried about a lawsuit: “Conspiracy theorist and radio host Alex Jones was pressured to air an apology for his role in spreading the false ‘Pizzagate’ conspiracy theory, which led to a Jones listener firing a gun inside a Washington, D.C. pizzeria. Jones aired a pre-taped video in which he acknowledged that he made commentary about the pizzeria owner that “in hindsight I regret, and for which I apologize to him.’”